Deadly Games
by goldseadragon
Summary: New Moon AU. Let's start with Bella holding hostages at gunpoint, and work backwards. Edward is gone, Bella is all alone, and Victoria's fun is just beginning.
1. Chapter 1

Technology had caused us several hardships over the years. As vampires trying to leave no footprints behind us, we had been forced to stay a step ahead of every change in society. Jasper and Rosalie proved the most adept at hacking, and so they went in to delete files, scramble code, and fail backups for our disappearances; previously we had needed nothing more than to decline to leave a forwarding address and break in to steal a few sheets of paper.

Two days ago it had been cell phones that I was cursing, as Alice's never-ending dialing led to the nearly constant vibration in my pocket. I longed for the savage simplicity of tearing a phone cord from the wall. Hitting "ignore" over and over again just didn't carry the same satisfaction. My last call to check in, after three months of silence, had led to Esme tearfully demanding that I leave the phone on at all times. If not for her pleading, I would have a simple solution to this aggravation, and I lamented her motherly demeanor as much as my inability to say no to her.

Reaching into my pocket barely slowed my stride, and the ashy landscape continued to flash by as I lifted the phone to my ear.

"What couldn't wait, Alice?" I demanded, my voice flat.

"Edward." Her tone matched mine. Our hearts had not beat for decades, and yet for the first time we all acted truly dead. None of us had been the same since..._no. Don't think_.

"You need to come back." She was matter of fact, despite this being the tenth time we'd had this conversation. No—actually, the eleventh. I barely remembered the one in São Paulo, when I'd been holed up in an attic, drunk on pain and thirst.

"Nothing has changed, Alice," I reminded her. Repeating this tug-of-war left me even more weary than I had been before.

Her bitter laugh startled me, and I nearly stumbled. I glanced down quickly as I ran, as if my own feet could provide an explanation.

"The only thing that doesn't change is us, Edward." Her attempt at levity fell flat, and she quickly sighed. My mouth twitched upward slightly at the sound. Jasper had never understood the appeal of the affectation; our useless lungs gained nothing from the increased intake. It was one of many mannerisms I had lost over the past few months, as my singular focus whittled away at the human tics I had meticulously perfected.

"Find civilization. Watch the international news and see what has changed. Then come home." She whispered the last word as if barely able to force it past her lips. I knew she meant Ithaca, where the family had settled after Forks, and yet I found myself unable to assign the word anywhere else.

The soft beep in my ear brought me back, and I stared at the phone in my hand. She had ended the call. What could be happening that could possibly trump my mission? Find Victoria, destroy her—it was all that kept me moving through the world. I found myself envying James' skill as I attempted to track her; my inferior nose had led me back and forth through South America until I was nearly turning circles upon myself in the Andes. It seemed too much to hope for that she had thrown herself into one of the nearby volcanoes.

My legs carried me west, seemingly with a will of their own. Within the hour I had reached the edges of Concepción, and I made my way gratefully towards the University. I had neither the patience nor the presence of mind to properly rent a hotel room, and a quick stop in a dormitory led me to a shower and a set of casual clothes no one would miss. Barrio Estación would be the fastest way to figure out Alice's latest riddle; the concentration of pubs and other night life would give me quick insight into the major happenings of the world.

Despite my indifference, I braced myself for the barrage of minds I would soon subject myself to. What had happened to throw Alice into this state? My mind whirled through economic and political events as I last knew them. Surely I had not been so oblivious that a major war had occurred.

The rapid-fire Spanish of the Chilean students and business people hit me like a wall. I sifted through the major words quickly, looking for disaster. Neither their words nor their thoughts provided any understanding of Alice's anxiety. The air swirled with the common concerns of teenagers and twenty-somethings: food, sex, money. I quickened my pace, seeking a more serious venue. Soon the garish clubs had transitioned into calmer establishments; faded signs and hazy windows framed an older, quieter crowd.

Pushing my way through a beaten wooden door, I walked deliberately towards the edge of the bar where a television was tuned to CNN. I perched on the last empty seat, quickly glancing at the man slumped next to me. His drink was nearly empty, and by the shine of the bar around him, I surmised that most of his beverage was lying under the glass.

I gestured towards the man and held up two fingers to the bartender, who gave me a hard look before reaching behind him for a glass. He tilted a bottle into it, still staring at my face as if searching for something. When the bottle had emptied, he shuffled over and thumped the glass into the puddle left by my new neighbor. Lifting the man's glass, he made his way back to the other end and repeated the process. As he approached again, I held out several bills. Silently I apologized to the student whose temporary home I had raided. While the exchange rate had been more than fair, he probably had no idea what to do with the American bills I had left in place of the ones in my hand.

The bartender meandered back down the bar with the money, waving off the driver's license I had offered. His mutterings went unnoticed by the humans at the bar.

"Los lolos son chueco. Diecinueve, tú me estás jodiendo."

I sat up a bit and scowled. This license listed me as nineteen, and had passed inspection at customs several times. My rumpled student uniform was probably not helping the charade. Despite ordering the drink for show, I was slightly annoyed that a man less than half my age was questioning me.

"Gracias." The man on the next stool tilted towards me a bit, then proceeded to down half the contents of the glass in one swallow. Setting the drink back down in the puddle, he resumed his slouch and stared at the television.

For the next twenty minutes I faced the screen with the other patrons, tipping my glass into my neighbor's whenever his attention was elsewhere. I grew more annoyed with each mundane story rattling off the anchor's lips. Unemployment was down. The Dow was down. This country was broke. That country might be making warheads. Nothing was new, and this was wasting my time.

Grumbling, I shoved the glass back from myself and stood. I felt for the phone in my pocket with resignation. Alice would be calling any moment, berating me for ignoring her instruction. I made my way past my neighbor and headed for the door, the drone of the anchor still buzzing in the back of my head.

_En Puerto Angeles, un pueblo de Washington en los Estados Unidos_...

I heard that wrong. She said something about Los Angeles, certainly.

..._un jefe de policía en Forks_...

Charlie? What about Charlie?

..._punto muerto importante_...

A standoff? Was Charlie hurt? Why would that merit mention on CNN? _Danger magnet_, my brain whispered. No.

The phone was shaking in my hand. Numbly, I lifted it to my mouth.

"Is Charlie hurt?" I rasped, my voice barely audible. My throat was suddenly dry, in a way I knew no number of deer could possibly cure.

"Not anymore." Jasper's quiet calm assaulted my ear; I was expecting Alice.

"What? Explain," I demanded.

"Charlie is dead," Jasper answered. "They think he has been dead for a while. The investigation led to a standoff in Port Angeles for the past day and a half. There are three hostages."

My mouth felt heavy, my lips parting only with monumental effort. "Where is she?"

"Bella is in the building, Edward," Jasper said.

"They have her? Who is it? Why did they take her?" I demanded, each question coming faster as I forced my lips to move.

"No, Edward." Jasper was patient, a teacher explaining a simple concept to a small child. "Bella is the one who did it."

A shrill laugh flew from me, my hand jerking the phone out wildly. "What?"

"Bella is the main suspect in Charlie's murder, Edward." Jasper spoke even slower, more carefully. "The police caught up to her, and she took three people hostage and is holed up inside a store."

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Since this is the first time I've posted my own work, I should share some information about my writing style. I will not be keeping a consistent schedule for updates. That is NOT code for "I will update once in a blue moon." Rather, I mean literally that I will update fairly often but not on a set schedule. I never write in a linear fashion, so I may have a manic fit that finishes chapters 9 through 15 even though chapters 3 and 4 do not yet exist. That said, I will make some guarantees:

1. I will NEVER update with only comments or notes. If you subscribe to this story and get a notification, there WILL be new story content there. Even if I do want to convey something outside the story, I will always include something new to make it worth your while (such as an outtake). Getting a notification only to find that there's nothing really there pisses me off, and I won't do that to you.

2. I don't write with the goal of making each chapter the same length. Each chapter will end in a place that best fits the action. That said, if a chapter ends up short or containing mostly fluff, I will try to get the next part out quickly. I know how unsatisfying a chintzy update can be.


	2. Chapter 2

The next several hours passed in a wash of strange faces and shrill noises. I made my way to the airport, bought a ticket to the States, and sat to wait. I barely remembered to blink and move my limbs every now and then as my thoughts ran rampant.

_What in God's name is going on? Bella would never hurt Charlie. How can he be dead? Did her clumsiness take a turn for the worse, and Charlie got caught in the crossfire?_

I tried to imagine a scenario that would result in the tall, solid man being mortally wounded. Bella was always bumping and bruising herself, but she'd never caused serious damage before.

_Even when we almost killed her, it was only a paper cut_, my mind reminded me.

My thoughts continued to swirl in circles. _Crossfire_. That was it. It had to have happened on the job. Forks was a small town, but being a police officer was always a risk. Had he been shot? If he'd interrupted a burglary or something similar, how would that have anything to do with Bella? Did Bella even know which end of a gun was up?

Jasper had said they thought Charlie was dead for a while. Did that mean he went missing? How did nobody notice he was gone? The man must have had three years' worth of vacation built up. He did nothing but work and fish.

A tinny voice overhead announced boarding for the flight to New York, and my legs lifted and carried me to the terminal as if independent from my body. I nodded and smiled when appropriate, a mannerly robot. The flight was soon underway and I closed my eyes, determined to avoid conversation with the people around me.

Reaching New York took forever, and yet I was hardly aware of the hours passing. I hadn't lost time like this since São Paulo, and I promised myself that I would feed as soon as possible.

I left the airport and took a cab out of the city, watching the houses grow larger and farther apart. Eventually I instructed the man to pull into a cul de sac and handed him the fare, with a large tip. His eyes nearly disappeared into the smile that lit up his face, and he thanked me profusely. As he drove off, I glanced into my wallet and realized I'd given him the rest of my American bills. _Well, hell_. That was almost two hundred dollars. No wonder he was so excited.

I walked purposefully behind a brick Cape Cod as if headed for the back door, then stepped onto the porch and listened carefully. There was no one inside and the minds nearby were distracted. I jumped quickly into the grass and made my way into the woods, heading northwest as fast as I could. I needed my family.

Several hours and three deer later, I burst through the tree line and saw with relief that my father waited for me at the door. Waking up the stone driveway, I studied his face as I approached. Despite the perfect smoothness of his features, he looked old and worn. His eyes showed a sorrow that went deeper than the tragedy that had driven us from Forks.

_Son_, he thought. _It is good to have you home again_. I smiled.

"It's good to see you, Carlisle." I reached up and clasped his shoulder, an almost-hug that conveyed my relief and weariness. He grasped my forearms and nodded.

_Your mother is waiting_. I fought to keep my face neutral. Esme had grown more distraught with each phone call. I was not looking forward to facing her.

Stepping up to the porch, I squared my shoulders and took an unnecessary breath. Following Carlisle inside, I closed the door as quietly as possible and then turned around, only to run into a wall.

I looked up into honey-colored eyes and a wave of caramel hair. "Mom."

Her hand lifted so slowly that I could have been across the room before it reached me, yet I held still and waited for her censure. The light slap to my cheek would have barely hurt a mortal, yet the sound of stone against stone echoed through the room.

"How could you, Edward," she whispered. "You left us once, and I thought you had learned your lesson. Evidently not."

Has she been angry, I might have found the energy to argue. Her voice was desolate, and the chill of her tone sent a shiver through me.

"It was necessary."

Esme tilted her head, studying me. "Which part?"

"You know I needed to find Victoria. I couldn't take the risk that she might go back for Bella. But beyond that, I couldn't stand to see everyone…" I paused. "In pairs."

"We have always tried to be considerate of your alone time, Edward," she reminded me.

I couldn't look at her. "It wasn't the same anymore. Even the reminder of it…knowing everyone had someone."

"And what made it different than before? That it was by your own choice?" Her arms clasped across her chest.

"This was hardy my choice, Mom," I said, irritated. "Killing my girlfriend was not a _choice_."

"But changing her was."

My hands fisted without permission. "That was _never_ an option."

Esme glanced down at my hands, then back up to my eyes. She watched the expressions flicker across my face, then sighed.

"You've been so busy making decisions for everyone else, you've forgotten to make any for yourself."

I was irritated. "What does that mean?"

Her face held pity. "My poor boy." Her arms gathered me in and I let her pull me forward. I was so tired.

After a few moments of peace, the buzz of voices in my thoughts grew too loud to be ignored. Lifting my head, I looked towards the stairs and saw the rest of the family watching our embrace.

Jasper stared at me warily. His thoughts indicated that he was trying to determine which set of emotions was easier to bear—the family's worry and regret over my absence, or the anger and resentment brought about by my return.

Alice was abnormally still, but her thoughts swirled like a hurricane. Esme's quiet rage and Carlisle's weariness had only grown more pronounced over the months I'd been gone, and Emmett's usual attempts to joke everyone out of their doldrums had fallen flat, until finally he grew uncharacteristically silent. Their miserable faces repeated over and over in her head, growing more resigned as time passed. Despite Alice's concern for everyone, her worry for Jasper was paramount, and I internally cringed to see her remember the constant reassurance and support she had to offer in order to keep him from buckling under the weight of the family's feelings.

Emmett glared at me, his thoughts vicious. The usual simplicity of his thoughts and words was merely a product of his overwhelming contentment. He blamed me for the loss of his happiness, and his constant stream of memories over the past several months showed me why. I watched through his eyes as my family members sank deeper into their misery, and felt even worse than I had before.

"Well, _brother_," he sneered. "Finally back from vacation? Can you spare a few hours of your valuable time to clean up the giant pile of shit you created, or do you have to go fuck over someone else?"

I waited for Esme to scold him for his language. She simply stared at me silently, waiting for an answer like everyone else.

Despite months of castigating myself for my actions as I failed to track down Victoria, despite my terror at seeing Bella's father appearing on television all the way in South America, and despite the hostility that hit me like a wall as I walked back into my family home—it was the silence that finally got through to me. I knew for certain that if Esme wasn't bothered by the obscenities flying out of Emmett's mouth, then I had well and truly fucked up.


	3. Chapter 3

Carlisle's compassion has always been a chicken and egg argument. Was he able to retain so much of his humanity because of his diet, or did his nature lead him to feed on animals in the first place? He and I spent many enjoyable afternoons debating vampire nature, and how we differed from others of our kind.

Despite our civility, some aspects of vampire makeup are impossible to repress. One of those is our response to attack. Any vampire, when backed into a corner, will lash out. We are predators, first and foremost, and have no natural enemies. Our submission is won through brute force, in a fight, or through trust between mates. Emmett had earned neither.

"I see you're glad the family scapegoat is back, Emmett," I sneered. "You must be getting tired of being the village idiot." I looked around. "Where's your keeper?"

"Rose is hunting," Carlisle said calmly. "We agreed it was best that she not be here when you returned. She has…strong feelings about your recent behavior."

I snorted. "Of course she does. Nobody inconveniences the princess."

"Your mate is an internationally renowned murderer, Edward," Emmett said dryly. "That ranks a bit higher than _inconvenient_."

I lunged for him, roaring. Jasper grabbed my arm and swung me back around, hitting me with a dose of lethargy. I dropped to the couch, my arms strangely heavy.

"Who are you to judge, Emmett?" I said softly. "You woke to this life with an indestructible mate ready-made and waiting for you."

"Oh, right," he said, snapping his fingers as if in sudden realization. "I forgot! No one does drama like Eddie. We're all on a cake walk, and you're the only person with problems. It's not like my mate was brutally attacked or anything, suffering decades of post-traumatic stress."

He began walking around the border of the room, gesturing wildly as he made each point. "Jasper, here, he doesn't have a hundred years of brutality to overcome, nor does he have a mate whose own family locked her away to die. And Carlisle, of course, didn't find his own mate broken into a dozen pieces after being beaten and miscarrying her only child."

Emmett flopped down onto the couch, jostling me as he settled in. "Yup, everything's sunshine and roses for all of us. Must suck to be the only person with problems."

I shook my head. As if any of that was remotely similar to my predicament.

"Everything is black and white with you." I was leaving fury behind, but heading full steam towards annoyance. "I point out that you've never dealt with your mate as a human, and you turn it into a contest over who has suffered most. The two concepts are not interchangeable."

"Enough." Carlisle's voice was resigned. "Emmett and Edward, you are having two different conversations. Neither of them is of any use at the moment. A member of our family is wanted for murder and holding people at gunpoint. Might we concentrate on that?"

"If we can get through the conversation without hurting little Eddie's feelings," Emmett muttered. He knew we would all hear him, and Jasper sent out a spike of irritation at the passive-aggressive comment.

"We always take everyone into consideration during family discussions," Jasper said pointedly, crossing his arms.

I snorted. "_You_ do, Jasper. Not everyone." My attempt at an offhand comment came out bitter and resentful.

"Yes, we do," Alice piped up. Her frown seemed to take over her tiny face.

"You see every conversation twice," I pointed out. "Once before and once during. Surely you've seen enough to know that isn't true, Alice."

"Son, it's not easy when you can hear even the thoughts we don't intend to share," Carlisle said. "There is a fine balance between forthright and obnoxiously blunt."

"Damned straight." Emmett nodded. "But if you'd like, I can just stop filtering altogether." He smirked at me.

"You say you're considerate of my feelings, but you're all full of it," I hissed. My charade of indifference was through the window. "You're doing the same thing you've all done for the past fifty years. Anytime you don't want me in your heads, you throw your relationships in my face."

"That isn't true, Edward," Esme said quietly. Carlisle looked disappointed.

"Sure it's not," I said sarcastically. "You all know I can't turn this off. I don't _want_ to be in everyone's heads all the time. Yet the second any of you decides that you need mental privacy, I get treated to the porn stylings of the Cullen family. I suppose it would kill you to just ask me to go for a run and give you some space. It's faster and easier to shove your sex lives down my throat."

Emmett's face had slowly transformed from rage to guilt. He suspected that he was the worst offender, and he was right. If Rose knew the things he'd revealed in his thoughts, she'd cut him off for a decade.

Jasper turned to peer at Emmett, curiosity pouring off of him. He wasn't the least bit surprised that Emmett would mentally over share, but he did wonder why Emmett would feel the need to block me. It was a question I asked myself frequently. Emmett had no gifts to infringe on others' privacy, and no ulterior motives. I suspected he simply enjoyed tormenting me.

"Fine." Carlisle raised his arms in a soothing gesture. "Let's agree for the moment that the family needs to revisit our approach to dealing with Edward's gift. Tabling that, can we get on with the issue at hand?"

Alice's eyes glazed over momentarily, then she nodded. "Jazz and I will go with Edward to Port Angeles. The rest of you should stay here."

"Oh, hell no!" Emmett boomed. "You are not keeping me away from little sis. I need to know what the hell is going on with that girl."

"The place is crawling with police and news cameras," Alice hissed. "The fewer supernatural creatures lurking about, the better. Our gifts will be necessary to stay under the radar."

"I see how it is," Emmett grumbled. "Can't bend a spoon with your mind, so you're out of the group."

"Emmett, for the love of God." Carlisle pinched his nose as if warding off a migraine. I had no doubt that if a vampire could cause head pain, it would be Emmett.

Alice waved them off. "We'll need a connecting flight, and there's a several hour delay."

_Hell. I can run there faster_, I thought.

"No," Alice said, shaking her head. "It's brilliantly sunny throughout the entire Midwest. The time you spend waiting for dark eats up all the time you gain by going on foot. Flying is less risk."

"Fine. Book it." I turned on my heel and made my way to my room, closing the door as quietly as possible. Lying on the couch, I closed my eyes and reminisced over the few months I had spent with my beautiful girl.

Immersed in memories as I was, I was startled when Alice mentally called me. _It's time to go, Edward. Grab a small carryon and get moving_.

Having my family close must have made me more conscious of my surroundings, because every dull moment of the long drive and the even longer flight was marked onto my memory as if engraved. The layover felt like walking through sand, and by the time our second flight was called I was almost certain time had begun flowing backwards.

As we waited in the Seattle airport for Alice to charm the rental agent into giving us an unscheduled car, I fought the urge to sprint for the doors and run for Port Angeles. The only thing that stopped me was the strange visual it would create. People do not leave the airport on foot. Finally, she returned, keys dangling from her finger.

"For God's sake, Alice," I muttered.

"He was going to give us a _minivan_, Edward," she said earnestly, as if driving such a vehicle would soil her.

"Darlin', I don't think now is the time to worry about your sense of style," Jasper said gently, his hand rubbing her arm.

Alice turned to him, annoyed. "Really? My sister is surrounded by sniper rifles, and you think I'm shopping?"

She led us out onto the parking deck, sweeping the remote around and searching for the responding beep. "I was thinking more along the lines of turning radius and maximum speed, given that we're probably going to have to outrun at least two different bodies of law enforcement."

I stopped dead. "Are you suggesting we help Bella become a fugitive?"

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth, but I shook my head furiously, cutting her off.

"No, Alice. No. There is no way that Bella has hurt anyone. It just isn't feasible. We will go there, figure out this colossal misunderstanding, clear her name, and then get out of her life."

Jasper looked at me with sympathy. "Edward, I don't want to think the worst of her, but things the way they are…it seems likely that she's done _something_ she shouldn't have."

My mouth twisted in anger and he quickly waved his hand. "I'm not sayin' she'd ever kill someone. But there's obviously something seriously wrong if she's willing and capable of holding back armed police."

"We'll figure it out," I swore. "She's probably just scared and not thinking clearly. If her dad is truly dead, she's got to be emotionally drained and overwhelmed."

We drove out of the city in silence, each of us pondering the possibilities. How had Bella come to this?

Approaching Port Angeles was certainly more complicated that it used to be. Police blockades and news crews had turned the small coastal village into a human rat trap. We attempted to maneuver through the mess, but after circling several times, Alice conceded defeat and parked the car on a remote side street. There was no point in forcing our way in if we would not be able to find a quick exit.

We darted through the neighborhoods quickly, varying our speed as we approached more populated areas. When we finally got within hearing range of the police, we ducked into an alley so I could scan the minds around us thoroughly.

"She's holed up in the bookstore on Third Street. The Port Angeles police department is out in full force," I said, listening carefully. "The chief refused the help of the Forks department because they are too emotionally involved…but a lot of them are here off duty anyway."

Jasper nodded. "I'm getting rage, despair, and disbelief in equal amounts. They love her and want to believe she could never do this, but there doesn't seem to be any other explanation."

Alice closed her eyes for a moment. "The shift is changing in eight minutes. There is one shooter and one lookout in an apartment across the street, and another set of two on the roof of the grocery store a block to the east. If we can get to the store while they switch off, we can enter through the skylight without being seen."

"All right." I nodded, my non-beating heart in my throat. We were really going to do this. I was really going to see Bella again.

Ducking into a crouch, we left the alley and ran towards the bookstore.

Picking through the jungles of South America had not been particularly exciting. The constant rain made it impossible to track Victoria for hours at a time, and I had little to do but sit and think. I imagined Bella—what she was doing and how she would react if I were to return. Sometimes she would cry, sometimes she would ignore me. Never did she welcome me back with open arms. Even my subconscious seemed to realize what a shit I had been.

Despite my endless visualizing, I was, as usual, completely wrong about Bella's reaction. I don't know why I thought I'd ever understand how her mind worked.

As my family got used to Bella's presence and stopped using human speed around her, her tendency to startle gradually diminished until only her heartbeat gave her away. No matter how comfortable she was around us, her eyes simply could not follow us at full speed, and the sudden appearance of a vampire in her line of vision invariably led to her heart stuttering the slightest bit.

When Alice forced her way through the skylight and we dropped into the bookstore, we landed at the edge of Bella's peripheral vision. We stood motionless for barely a second before her head slowly swiveled towards us, her heart calm and even. As she met our yellow eyes with her brown ones, her face remained expressionless.

"Oh, goodie," she said calmly. "Just what I need in my life. More leeches."

Alice's thoughts were equally shocked and hurt. Jasper reached out and squeezed her shoulder, offering support. It wasn't like Bella to use derogatory terms.

The three of us remained silent. Her demeanor had thrown me.

"Well?" she demanded. "I'm kind of busy here. What the fuck do you want?"


	4. Chapter 4

The silence could have lasted minutes or hours; I couldn't tell. I could only watch Bella's sweet face as it contorted in irritation.

"Some of us are getting older," she pointed out, with a cursory glance over her shoulder.

I listened more carefully and heard the thoughts of several people in the back of the store. They were apprehensive and were arguing in hushed voices about…a bee? Why would people being held captive concern themselves with insects?

Perhaps one of them had an allergy. That sounded like Bella's luck—take hostages and then have one of them fall over dead due to an expired EpiPen.

"Bella." I gestured towards the sounds. "Your hostages are having some sort of health issue. They're worried about bees."

She snorted. "Yeah, they're good like that."

Jasper the strategist was puzzled. "Their welfare should be your main concern right now."

"Jesus Christ!" Bella threw her hands in the air. "Did you just drop by to tell me how to run my standoff, or is there an actual point to this?"

She walked over to a set of chairs and dropped into the love seat, running her palms down her face. I'd never seen her so tired.

"Bella," I asked as gently as possible. "Why are you here?"

She shrugged. "I didn't exactly get to pick, but it's as good a place as any. Snacks, comfortable seats, and plenty to keep us occupied." She waved her hand around, indicating the food court in the corner and the seating areas spread throughout the store.

"No, Bella. Why are you _here_?" I emphasized.

Her eyes drifted sideways, where Alice was clutching Jasper's arm. To an outsider, Alice seemed fearful, but I knew she was trying to keep Jasper calm.

"What's wrong, Alice? Crystal ball broken?" Bella's eyebrow lifted as she smirked.

Alice glared murderously in my direction. Her thoughts screamed at me to take responsibility for the abandonment of her friend.

I cleared my throat. "Actually, I asked Alice to avoid looking for you. I thought it was best."

"Of course. Edward always knows best," Bella sneered.

We looked at each silently for a moment. "So then why are you _here_?" Bella demanded, mocking my previous question.

"You're on the news, Bella!" Alice burst out. "In thirteen countries!"

Bella frowned. "That's good. She'll probably see it then. They didn't say I'm in custody, right?"

"No," Jasper responded, eyeing her. He was still trying to make sense of her mood. "The last broadcast we saw was about trying to identify your hostages. Who are you hoping will see this?"

Bella's eyes widened for a moment before her face became a blank slate. "It's not your concern."

"Of course it is, love," I said. "You are always my concern."

"Bullshit!" she yelled, startling me. I had no idea why she kept surprising me, given the situation, but apparently I was still expecting her normal responses.

"You made your opinion of me perfectly clear when you left me to rot in the woods," she said, her voice lowering as she spoke. "I'm not currently in the market for a sparkly superhero, so run along and let me handle my own problems. Don't let the nice policemen riddle your ass with hollow points on the way out." She waved her arm towards the storefront.

Bella recklessly endangering herself, I was used to. Bella recklessly endangering herself while telling me to shove off, I was not. I looked at Alice helplessly.

Jasper tried not to smile. Despite the situation, his thoughts were amused. Apparently needing Carlisle to extract bullets from my backside was no less than I deserved.

"Bella," Alice began carefully, "let us help you. It's no more than what we would do for each other. You know we consider you family."

"Obviously. All the dumping and leaving and ignoring really showed your support," Bella scoffed. I looked at the floor. Even without actually seeing it, I could feel her stare burning a hole into my supernaturally hard head.

"Right," she muttered. "Whatever. You keep pretending to give a shit. I'm going to get some carrot cake."

Bella stalked towards the food court and started clattering around in the display case. She retrieved a half-eaten cake and set it on the counter, then gathered utensils. The wax paper crinkled as she plated one of the pre-sliced portions and then returned the cake to its glass shelf. Huffing, she dropped into the love seat with her dessert and studiously ignored us as she ate.

_She's furious, Edward_, Jasper thought. _I didn't know Bella was even capable of this much anger_.

Excellent. An enraged clumsy girl surrounded by firearms.

The three of us stood motionless as Bella ate. Her chewing seemed ridiculously loud, emphasizing the complete silence among us.

"Any idea when you'll be done here?" Bella finally asked around a forkful of cake.

Alice and I looked at each other. "There's really too many variables right now, Bella," Alice ventured. "You know it depends on decisions."

Bella chuckled darkly. "No, I mean when will you get your fill of playing with the human? Running around deciding what's best for me? Lying to my face for my own good? Tossing me aside like a used tissue? Any of this ringing a bell?"

I swallowed uneasily. Alice tapped her foot and narrowed her eyes. "Not particularly, no."

The two girls glared at each other. I waited for Bella to blush and look away. No one won a staring contest against Alice. Emmett argued that it was only because she could see when the other person would give up, but I knew she was simply that stubborn.

The silence seemed to spread throughout the room as they stared, and Jasper rolled his eyes in my direction. _This is pointless. Bella will need to blink eventually, and we can hold still for days._

"So what's up, Alice? Find yourself a new human puppet yet?" Bella's eyes didn't move the entire time she spoke. It was eerie.

Alice blanched. Her thoughts were chaotic.

_Knew it would be even worse…told him we should at least say goodbye…never want to hear it…_

"I know the way we left was not the best," Alice began quietly.

"It really wasn't," Bella cut in. "You could have at least dropped me off at the shelter for another less fortunate vampire to dress up."

Alice did not answer. She was sunk in a flurry of remorse and shame. Hearing the bitter edge to Bella's words only intensified the guilt she felt at our family leaving Forks.

I was at a loss. This Bella did not want to hear that we were acting in her best interest. She was too steeped in anger and resentment.

"Well," Bella said grandly, standing and clapping her hands in mock joy, "this has been great, but I really need to get back to reading _Hostage Negotiation for Dummies_. Feel free to go play with matches or something."

She spun on her heel and made her way towards the back.

_I should talk to her myself_, Jasper thought in my direction.

"You?" I murmured. "You can keep her calm from across the room. I can speak to her."

_It isn't that_, he thought hesitantly. _I'm the only one she isn't projecting a flood of hatred at._

I sighed. Of course Bella would prefer the company of her would-be murderer to that of her boyfriend and best friend.

"Go," I told him reluctantly. I had not planned on him being this close to Bella. I wanted to trust him, but Bella's accident had shown me the uselessness of my own ability. My mind reading had not protected her from his split-second reaction to a paper cut.

I watched as Jasper followed her past the seating areas and caught up to her as she passed the cookbooks.

"Bella," he called softly. "Can I have a word with you?"

She turned slightly and shrugged. "Sure."

Jasper put his hands in his pockets, trying to appear non-threatening as he gathered his thoughts.

"Before we deal with…_this_, " he gestured vaguely in the air, "I really need to apologize to you."

Bella laughed lightly. It was the first pleasant sound I'd heard from her.

"You really don't, Jasper," she said.

"Attacking you was unforgivable," he insisted.

Bella looked at him, pursing her lips. "If it's unforgivable, why bother apologizing?"

Jasper nodded, admitting her point. "Because it's the right thing to do."

"If it matters that much to you, consider yourself forgiven," she said airily. "Although to be honest, I'd count what you did to be the least unforgivable among your family. Except perhaps Rosalie," she mused, looking deep in thought.

I tensed. Rose had made her dislike of Bella clear from the beginning. Had she done something to her?

"Rosalie?" Jasper questioned, watching her face.

Bella nodded. "I should thank her, really. She wanted nothing to do with me, and she never pretended otherwise. You were nothing more than a dieter with an urge to binge," she said dryly.

I had the distinct urge to shake her. Bella had seen Jasper lunge for her throat at supernatural speed, and yet she was comparing him to a housewife obsessing over a box of cookies.

She turned and leaned against the bookshelf, relaxing her shoulders. Her gaze became distant. "Compared to everyone else…pretending to love me, pretending to make me a part of the family, and then discarding me like I was trash…what you did was nothing."

Jasper mulled over her words. He acknowledged that she downplayed the entire situation, as only Bella could. But he could not deny that he felt no fear or resentment directed towards him.

My stomach felt heavy as I replayed her words in my mind. _Like I was trash…like I was trash…like I was trash…_

"Have they apologized to you yet?" Bella asked softly.

Jasper looked up, startled. "Who?"

"The rest of your family," she said. She watched his face curiously.

"Why would they need to apologize for me attacking you?" he asked her, exasperated. He was beginning to wonder if the stress of the situation was affecting her thinking.

"Because you didn't attack me alone," she responded, as if it were obvious.

"I may have been a bit out of it, but I distinctly remember being the only one jumping at you," he said firmly.

Bella shrugged. "Physically, maybe. But you were carrying the thirst of seven vampires, one of whom saw me as their singer."

Oh. That's where she was going with this.

Jasper's lips tightened. "That's my burden to bear, Bella. I don't get a free pass for being an empath."

"And what do you do with that ability, Jasper?" Bella asked quietly. "You magnify their happiness, and share the burden when they suffer. How often do you use what you can do to help them? Really?"

"Probably daily," he admitted.

"And you've been together for how long?" Bella pushed.

"Much longer than you've been alive," Jasper smiled at her. "More than half a century."

"So why do they have the right to use the benefits of your ability, then vilify you for the side effects? Isn't that a bit hypocritical?"

"It doesn't really work like that," Jasper hedged. He wanted the relief her logic offered, but his guilt was persistent. Carlisle's restraint, though unusual, reminded him daily of what was possible.

Bella watched the struggle play across his features. "Maybe it should," she said quietly.


	5. Chapter 5

Vampires can process multiple sources of input and make decisions in less time than it takes a human to blink. Jasper's strategic mind was quick even for our kind, so it was particularly unnerving to see him standing motionless before Bella, his mind a wicked garden sprouted from the seeds of her words. The memories that flashed behind his eyes were a highlights reel that supported Bella's argument.

_Carlisle, tending to Bella's wounds yet again, his face placid. Jasper's own haze as he fought the pull of her scent._

As Jasper gazed blankly at her face, Bella's watchful expression morphed into a sarcastic smirk. Through his mind, I felt her small burst of spiteful glee.

"I know that look," she sang.

_Emmett and Rosalie arguing over planning yet another wedding because_ _Rose was determined to outdo the newly married Charles and Diana. Jasper pumping calm into the room from where he sat upstairs._

"You know, Edward once told me that it seemed as if my scent was specifically designed for him," Bella said matter-of-factly.

_Carlisle comforting Esme as she mourned the absence of Bella after we had left Forks. Jasper in the background, smoothing the edges of her grief._

"He called me his personal brand of heroin."

_Alice fretting over a near slip during our stay in New England in the seventies. Jasper holding her, whispering comfort as he enveloped her in tranquility._

"Personally, I think it would be more appropriate to refer to me as his methadone, but I doubt Edward would appreciate rehab humor," she said dryly.

_My own struggle with the Denali sisters' constant advances during our occasional visits to Alaska. Jasper absorbing my irritation and futility while also trying to buffer their never-ending lust._

"You probably see where I'm heading with this, being the family Xanax and all."

_The family packing hastily after a neighbor became dangerously obsessed with Rose's beauty. Jasper lurking at the tree line, lulling the man into confused complacency as the moving van pulled away._

"I'd like to revel in the irony of a houseful of the undead being a bunch of addicts, but given that my entire life is an exercise in satire, I'm all maxed out at the moment."

_Emmett digging his fingers into the desk as a substitute teacher got uncomfortably close, her smell like fire on his tongue. Jasper frantically calming him from his own classroom, desperately swallowing the venom that pooled as he absorbed Emmett's bloodlust._

"I can tell by your expression that you've realized what a bunch of arrogant hypocrites the Cullens are."

_Carlisle on the front porch of our house in Rochester, his face drawn as he mourned the loss of a patient to a careless mistake by an overtired resident. Jasper sending him waves of comfort as Esme held him against her side._

"So, Jasper, are you finally tired of being abused, like the drug that you are?"


	6. Chapter 6

Jasper managed a tiny smile, despite the tornado of thoughts buffeting his mind. Panic and shame fought for prevalence as he processed her words. _She has a point. They do exhibit the behavior of addicts when it comes to my gift. How have I never seen this? Why did it take a human to point it out? A human. Listen to me. Like Bella is so inferior, simply by being mortal. Hundreds of years among us, and it took a child to point out how destructively co-dependent we've become. And I'm doing it again, calling her a child. She's an adult now, both legally and physiologically._

My own thoughts were wiped clean at the shock of Bella's words. Alice simply stared at Jasper, struggling with the realization that she had allowed—even encouraged—the abuse of her mate.

Bella remained as calm as ever. The dull look in her eye was more than exhaustion. The way she laid things out, so matter-of-fact, suggested that she'd had a significant amount of time to come to her conclusions.

Jasper, on the other hand, was on overload. I could tell that he wasn't ready to consider the long-term implications of the bomb Bella had just detonated. I could barely fathom them myself, much less factor in the family's reliance on Alice's visions and my mind-reading.

"So," Jasper continued, his even voice belying the chaos in his mind. "It's been a while, I admit, but this isn't quite how I recall senior year going the last time I endured it."

"I've made a few lifestyle changes," Bella said dryly. "Funny how a life on the lam doesn't lend itself to higher education."

"You've been busy," Jasper remarked, his expression mild. He gave no visible reaction to Bella's taunt, but his mind was racing.

"On the contrary," Bella said. She tapped her forehead. "This is what happens when you have absolutely nothing to do but sit and think."

"Because all deep thinkers eventually end up surrounded by SWAT teams?" he teased gently.

Bella's mouth twitched upwards. "_This_ meaning my understanding of your family's penchant for manipulation and mind games."

I bit back a growl at her words. Bella seemed determined to blame the entire family for my actions. Relief and shame battled for supremacy in my thoughts.

Jasper studied Bella's expression, reading the challenge in her gaze.

"I don't see how you can pin this on us," he admonished, sweeping his hand around. I flinched at his condescending tone, but his thoughts indicated that he hoped to antagonize her into offering more information.

"Of course you don't," she sneered. "You weren't _here_."

She suddenly seemed taller, and, despite barely coming up to Jasper's shoulder, she peered down on him in judgment.

"How many times has Edward played this game? Make friends with the human, draw her into your little circle, dazzle her with your impression of the Bloodsucking Brady Bunch. Blind her with the brightness of your existence."

Bella began to circle Jasper in almost predatory fashion. Seeing her frail form stalk him was surreal. She leaned into him, then, her face mere inches from his.

"Then," she whispered, "you yank the floor out from underneath, and she falls."

Jasper stared back, his face impassive. I was beginning to see how right he had been to keep me out of their conversation. My emotional outbursts held no sway in the face of his expressionless strategy.

"You know why we left," he said tonelessly. He was eager to gauge her response.

Her lip curled in disgust. "I know exactly why _he_ left, and I'm pretty sure I know why the rest of you trailed after him like ducklings. But that doesn't answer my question. How many?"

Jasper glanced at me, too quickly for her human eyes to catch. He calculated the best way to answer her to get what he wanted, and I growled lowly.

"This is not the time for your war games," I hissed below her hearing. "Tell her the truth."

"I've never seen Edward show interest in another woman before, vampire or human," Jasper told her. I sighed in relief.

Bella watched him for a moment, then smirked.

"Again, not related to my question. He doesn't have to show any real interest in order to play with some poor girl's head. The fake relationship is just liar's icing on the cake of pathology."

I sucked in a breath, feeling like I'd been punched. Did she really think that little of me? Alice caught my eye and shook her head minutely.

_Really not the time, Edward,_ she said silently. _And honestly, can you blame her? After what you said?_

I guess not.

"Bella, what I really need right now is for you to calm down, and to explain exactly what's going on," Jasper told her firmly. The soldier in him simmered right beneath the surface.

Bella's face went blank for a moment, then she smirked again. A tiny burble of laughter escaped from her, and she doubled over into a coughing fit. Jasper was incredulous.

"Sorry, sorry," she waved her hand around as she smothered a chuckle. "I didn't really hear anything past _need_."

"I said—" Jasper began.

"That wasn't an invitation to repeat yourself," she cut in. "I was just trying to avoid laughing hysterically at the idea that I should give a damn what any of you _want_ or _need_." Her arms pinwheeled around her. "Does it look like a good time for me to be fulfilling wish lists? Am I wearing a red suit and sitting on a throne?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Alice's lip twitch. I tried to avoid everyone's thoughts when they were sharing intimate moments, but some oversharing was inevitable in a family with supernatural senses. Alice greatly enjoyed Major Whitlock coming out to play, but it seemed she also appreciated the fact that Bella wasn't the least bit intimidated by him.

That last thought gave me pause. The old Bella was petrified that my family wouldn't like her, accept her. She worried constantly about how she was perceived by others. This Bella was flailing around, making a mockery of everything he said. What in the hell had gotten into her?


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the extensive delay. Faster updates will occur in direct correlation to the ending of real-life suck. Also, remember what I said at the beginning: chapter length is dependent on the story action. The current trend towards drabbles is not permanent.

* * *

><p>Jasper's low voice cut through my whirling thoughts.<p>

"This process would take much less time if you'd cut the sarcasm," he told Bella crisply.

"It would take even less if you'd fuck off and mind your own business," she shot back.

My jaw fell open and my eyes shot to Alice. Seeing her with a look of surprise was so foreign, it took me a moment to recognize the expression. She was just as stunned as I was.

The realization gave me pause. If Alice hadn't seen it coming, Bella must have said that without thinking-did that indicate that she was just angry, that she didn't really mean it? Or had she truly become the type of person that would speak like that to a loved one?

I watched Jasper and Bella glare at each other, feeling helpless. The despair I'd felt while seeing Alice's visions of Bella as a vampire was creeping back into my bones. Seeing her cold and sparkling, virtually unrecognizable, had shaken me to my core. Now, with her standing in front of me as warm and alive as ever, I still could not recognize her.

"What will it take to get you to leave?" Bella's eyes narrowed in contemplation.

"We're here to help," Jasper admonished her.

"Your _help_ is only going to get people killed," Bella said. "If you want to actually be of use, go back in time and clean up the mess you made in the first place!"

Jasper looked at his shoes. "I've apologized for that," he reminded her softly.

"Not the birthday thing again, for Christ's sake!" Bella threw her hands in the air.

Alice stepped forward. "We really can help you, Bella. You just have to let us."

Bella spun to face Alice, her eyes ablaze. "Letting you help me is the exact thing I don't need, you miserable little fortune teller! In fact, it's one of the worst things I can do! That _gift_ of yours isn't worth shit!"

Clenching her fists in her hair, Bella gritted her teeth and closed her eyes. I couldn't tell if she was trying to hold herself in, or shut us out.

"What is wrong with you Cullens?" she demanded through clenched jaws. "I begged you not to leave, and now I can't get rid of you. Is it just the power? You like forcing your wants on everyone else, making them submit to you?"

Alice's expression was equal parts wary and disgusted. Jasper was concentrating on sending calm towards Bella, but it seemed to just bounce off of her.

"No, Bella," I pleaded. I fisted my hands at my sides to keep myself from reaching for her.

A low pulsing sound came from the back room, too quiet to reach Bella's ears.

"Bee!" a female voice called out. Again with the insect problems? "Phone!"

Bella's eyes jerked sideways, and I watched as her furious scowl quickly morphed into a grin. The abrupt transformation was enough to make me queasy.

"Well, listen," Bella said, her smile false and exaggerated, "this been really great. Thanks so much for coming. Let's never do this again. " With a sarcastic salute, she spun on her heel and walked with purpose towards the back room where her hostages were sequestered.

So Bella was the bee? What kind of hostages dole out nicknames?

"What phone?" Bella asked. "I didn't hear the store line."

"No, it was your cell," the female replied, her voice full of concern. What the hell was this, advanced-onset Stockholm Syndrome?

"Fuck," Bella muttered. "That's never good."

"If it's him, he'll be calling again in a minute. He never leaves a voice mail," a male voice chimed in.

Sure enough, the pulsing started again almost immediately.

"Here goes nothing," Bella said lowly. "Hello?"

"Bella, you haven't been following the rules, you naughty girl," a snide voice admonished. "You know the consequences for misbehaving."

"I didn't break any of your goddamned rules," Bella snarled into the receiver. "Your information is wrong."

"Don't lie to me, human," the voice hissed. "Did you think we wouldn't find out that you have vampires in there with you?"

Bella huffed and quickly walked out of the room, turning left and making her way several feet down the wall until she sunk to the floor.

Jasper's thoughts were wild. _Who is calling her that knows about vampires? That can't be the police department._

"I really doubt they'd call her personal number for hostage negotiations," I hissed at him. "Be quiet!"

"There's nothing illegal about being in the _presence_ of vampires," she whispered precisely. "I didn't ask them to come. I've spent the past half hour trying to get them to go the hell away."

Whispers and rustling came through the phone as Bella stared defiantly into space. After a few moments of debate with someone else, the voice came back on the line.

"So you haven't sought their help? That's what you're claiming?"

Bella snorted. "She knows damned well that I wouldn't have been able to find the Cullens even if I tried. They just showed up and started telling me what to do, as usual."

Alice looked at me and smirked. I was about to tell her off when a familiar voice came on the line.

"The _Cullens_? Are you telling me those miserable bastards are there _right now_?"

Without thinking, I shot up from the seating area and flew to the back of the store, stopping directly in front of Bella's huddled form.

Bella stared up at me and smirked. "That's exactly what I'm telling you, Victoria."


	8. Chapter 8

In the long pause that followed, I tried desperately not to grind my molars into dust.

"Very well," her hostile voice continued. "Riley will be staying close to make sure there's no cheating. I suggest you get rid of them as quickly as possible."

Bella rolled her eyes. "No problem, Vic. If I can't force them out the door with my super strength, I'll just incinerate them with the laser beams in my eyes." She snapped the phone shut aggressively.

"Stupid bitch," she muttered.

"What the hell was that?" I burst out. Good grief. Bella's foul mouth seemed to be catching.

Bella eyed me critically as she dropped the phone into her pocket. "Way to be subtle in front of the humans, Usain," she said drily. "You took a whole tenth of a second to get back here."

"What. Was. _That_?" I enunciated, my patience stretched to the limit.

"Oh, that?" Bella gestured to the phone, her eyes wide in feigned innocence. "That's Tori, my BFF. She wanted to know what I thought of the latest episode of Laguna Beach."

I didn't understand this version of Bella. She had never been difficult. My Bella was sweet, and patient, and accommodating. Everything was turning red in front of my eyes, until a crunching noise startled me out of my haze. I looked down and was surprised to see my fist embedded in the drywall.

"Oooooo," Bella crooned in sotto voice. "The big bad is getting pissy."

I wrenched my hand from the plaster, shaking the crumbs to the carpet. "As usual, you seem oblivious to the fact that I'm a danger to you."

Bella chuckled low. "You aren't a danger to anyone, directly. You just bring down the animal, then stand back and watch the scavengers do the real damage."

A spark of interest shot through me from Jasper's thoughts. He stepped forward, drawing Bella's attention.

"Is Victoria the scavenger? Is that what you're saying?" he asked gently, his tone soothing.

"No. Victoria is the gamekeeper," Bella said with a mocking flourish.

"What game is she keeping, exactly?" Jasper asked.

Bella looked over my shoulder and smiled grimly. "That would be the game that is now my life."

"Excuse me?" I was aghast.

Bella's eyes returned to me. "There really is no excuse for you."

"No, I mean, what-" I rubbed my hand over my eyes and tried to gather my thoughts.

"Look, if I give you the Cliff Notes, will you get the hell out?" Bella demanded. "Fine. Here it is. You guys like Arnold Schwarzenegger?"

"What?" I asked blankly.

"It's a little bit Running Man, a little bit Death Race," she said conversationally.

Jasper shuddered a bit, swaying ever so slightly. I glanced at him quickly. _Her moods swings are like a drug_, he thought.

"_What _is, Bella?" I demanded. She wasn't making sense.

"The _game_," she insisted. "Pay attention."

"Okay," Jasper replied. "So you're playing a game. What are the rules? Every game has rules."

"That's easy," Bella said with a smirk. She held up four fingers. "Don't get caught. Don't get killed. Don't kill yourself. Don't seek supernatural help."

"What?" I demanded, aghast.

"Victoria framed me for the murder of my own father. I have to stay ahead of the police and I have to stay alive."

Glancing at the floor, she drug a shoe across the seam of the rug. "It wasn't too bad when I had the wolves to help me."

My head jerked. "Wolves? You've been associating with _wolves_?"

_Really, Edward? She's fighting for her life and you're going to give her shit for something like that?_ Alice demanded in my head.

Bella's glare cut through me. "They protected me on the reservation, and they could smell people coming long before I could hear them. When Victoria realized they were making it easier, she changed the rules. Now I'm not allowed to have any help that isn't human."

Her eyes cut from one of us to the next. "You know, like vampires," she said pointedly.

The shame and horror flowed through me like a river, washing away the rest of my thoughts.

Jasper's mind was whirling with strategy. "What's your motive for staying away from the police?" he asked.

Bella's glare became speculative. "You think I should go to jail for something I didn't do?"

"No," he said. "But trial and jail has to be easier than living on the run. You might even be safer from her if you were locked up."

"I'm not worried about myself. Victoria knows that." Bella shrugged. "Thus the rule about not committing suicide."

Alice sucked in a breath, her thoughts dark. Flashes of bars and cots drifted through her head.

With a deep sigh, Bella straightened her shoulders and looked me in the eye. "If anything happens to me, Renee dies. Slowly."


End file.
